Coat hanger



H. K. WIDMANN July 4, 1950 COAT HANGER Filed March 6, 1947 l 1 I N4 INVENTOR #42040 Af/Js Wow/4 Mv.

ATTORN EY Patented July 4, 1950 UNITED S ATES PATENT orrICE v Harold Kuss Widmann, WilkeseBarre, Pa. Application March 6, 1947, Serial No. 732,680

This invention relates to hangers for coats and similar garments and has for its principal objects the provision of a light and simple hanger capable of easy adjustment to properly fit coats'of various sizes. In order to hold a garment in shape it is desirable that the support approximate certain features of the body, such as the neck and shoulders. Both the neck and shoulders vary in size with different persons and garments; and while some attempts have been made in the past to provide coat hangers adjustable in size, they have generally been limited to adjustment of the shoulder portions, have provided little or no adjustment for the neck portions, and have been relatively heavy and complicated.

One of the principal objects of the present in Claims. (01. 223-89) vention is to provide for simultaneous adjustment of both the shoulder and neck portions of a coat hanger. Another object is to accomplish the desired result with a minimum of weight and expense, and to provide a mode of operation capable of being readily understood by the average user without special instruction. A further objectis to shield and protect the operative parts from damage so that the hanger can be readily shipped and tossed about, and also to allow it to be closed to a form similar to the ordinary coat hanger. Various other objects will become apparentas the description proceeds. Referring now to of this specification:

Fig. 1 is an elevation view showing the hanger extended so as to be able to fit both the neck and the shoulders of a garment.

Fig. 2 is a similar view of the hanger in its closed or compacted position.

Similar reference numerals refer to similar parts thruout the various views.

Referring now to Fig. 1, the device consists of a hook I on whose lower stem are pivotally connected two links 12 and 2'. The other ends of these links 2 and 2 are pivotally connected at the points 3 and 3' to the adjustable elements of the hanger proper on which the garments may be placed for support. These elements have members 4 and 4' which extend upward from the pivots 3 and 3' respectively to form a neck portion to support the collar of a garment, and they also extend downward and outward to form the shoulder supporting portions 5 and 5'. These shoulder supporting parts 5 and 5' curve outward and downward and then inward again to engage a turn-buckle element 1. This element 1 is threaded internally with screw threads of opposite pitcha left hand thread at one end and a the drawings forming part right hand thread at the other, after the manner of turn-buck1es and the inwardly extending ends of the members 5 and 5 are threaded correspondingly, so that when the turn-buckle 1 is rotated, the supporting elements 5 and 5' are moved outward or inward to expand or contract the hanger to fit garments of various sizes. I

It will be noted that the neck supporting portions 4 and 4 also move simultaneously with the shoulder portions and provide a definite support for the collar while the portions '5 and 5' support the shoulders.

The turn-buckle I and the supporting portions 4, '4, 5 and 5' form a relatively rigid structure, due to the fact that the inwardly projecting ends of parts 5 and 5 are threaded well within the turn-buckle 1. Consequently any adjustment of the device is reflected in a greater or less divergence of the links 2 and 2 connected to the hook I. While this may result in a certain amount of transverse stress tending to bend the neck portions 4 and 4' inward toward each other, this is not serious, as the supports 5 and 5 are strong enough to take it. It is desirable to have the supports 5 and 5' of tubing or other material of adequate size, not only for rigidity but also to provide a broad enough support for the garment'so as not to crease it.

In Fig. 2 the device is shown compactedto its minimum size, which is done by rotating the turn-buckle 1 to screw in the ends of the supports 5 and 5 as far as they will go. This brings the neck portions 4 and 4 close together, so as to be similar in appearance to the ordinary coat hanger, and in that form there is little or no support to the neck of a garment. In order that the links 2 and 2' may come close together in line with the stem of the hook I, the inner sides of the neck extension 4 and 4 are preferably channeled or grooved to provide a neat fit, enclosing, supporting and protecting the links 2 and 2'. It is in this condition that the hangers are generally shipped.

The device may be made of any suitable material, metal or plastic being generally preferred. I have shown the simplest basic form, which may be varied in its proportions, andto which various attachments may be added such as are customarily found on coathangers.

While I have in the foregoing described a certain specific form by way of example, it will be understood that it is merely for purposes of illustration to make clear the principles of the invention, which is not limited to the particular form shown but is susceptible to various moditions as will be apparent to those skilled in the art, without departing from the scope of the invention as stated in the following claims.

I claim:

1. In a garment hanger, the combination of a hook, a pair of links attached to said hook, a pair of supporting members attached to said links, said members being adapted to support the shoulder portions of a garment, said links being pivoted at spaced points to the hook and to the shoulder supporting members respectively, and a turn-buckle connecting said supporting members, whereby theymay be adjusted for various sizes of garments.

2. In a garment hanger, the combination of a hook, a pair of links attached to said hook, a pair of supporting members attached to said links, said members being adapted to support-the. shoulder portions of a garment, said links being pivoted at spaced points to the hook and to the shoulder supporting members respectively, said supporting members also having upward extensions to support the neck portions of a garment, and a turn-buckle connecting said supporting members, whereby the shoulder portions and the neck portions may be adjusted simultaneously laterally.

3. In a garment hanger, the combination of apair of curved supporting elements adapted to carry the shoulder portions of a garment and having upward extensions for supporting the neck portions of a garment, said. upward extensions being channeled at their inner sides, a pair of links adapted to fit in said channels when said upward extensions are close together, a

hook attached to said links, said links being pivoted at spaced points to the hook and to the shoulder supporting elements respectively, and means for simultaneously moving said garment supporting elements and upward extensions laterally to fit variousv sized garments at both the shoulders and at the neck.

d respectively, said links being connected to said supporting elements at points close to the junction of said supporting elements and their upward extensions, so that the upward extensions are outside of the links and the links are thereby protected from contact with the garment, and means for moving said shoulder supporting elements together with said upward extensions simultaneously laterally to fit various sized garments at both the shoulders and the neck.

5. 'In a garment hanger, the combination of a pair of curved supporting elements adapted to 1, carry the shoulder portions of a garment and, having inwardly extending lower ends in line with each other together with upward extensions at the other ends adapted to support the neck portions of a garment, a hook, a pair of links pivoted at spaced points to the hook and to the shoulder supporting elements respectively, said links being connected to said supporting elements at points close 'to-the junction of said supporting elements and their upward extensions so that the upward extensions are outside of the links and the links are thereby protected from contact with the garment, said upward exten-. sions being recessed on their inner sides to receive the links for further protection, and a turn-- buckle threaded on said inwardly extending lower ends of the curved supporting elements, whereby said shoulder supporting elements and said upward extensions may be moved to separate laterally simultaneously to the same degree to fit various sized garments at both the shou-i ders and the neck. HAROLD KUSS WIDMAN-N REFERENCES CITED The following references areof record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES- PATENTS.

Number I Name Date 347,212 Stein l' Mar. 12,1907 2,425,475 Isaacson -s Aug. 12, 1'94? FQRE'IGN PATENTS Number Country Date 1,333 Great Britain Oct-6, 1910 74,634 Germany Sept. 10, 1918 314,326 Italy Ja'n. 23, 193 i 

